Why I shaved all my hair off

Some strangers do make assumptions about my sexuality based on my hairstyle...

Jodie Papworth, a hairdresser from london, admits it was celebrities like Natalie Portman, Demi Moore and Karen Gillen that first piqued her interest in the shaved-head look. "Plus I had so much hair! So whenever it was hot or I was out dancing, I just wished I could get rid of it!" she told us. "Then I was joking around with a colleague at Headmasters where I work one day, and said that I would grow my hair for two more years then he could shave it all off!"

Jodie admits it wasn't easy convincing the people around her to share in her vision. "I think people were more attached to my hair then I was. Some people were excited to see how it would look, a few said that they thought I'd be able to pull it off because I had a good bone structure, but the main reaction was, "WHAT?! WHY?! My mum's reaction was,"Ok, but make sure you wear sun screen on your scalp when you're in the sun." Very practical advice!

"I wasn't nervous at all when it was happening, I just laughed my head off," she told us. "It was so liberating, plus I was a bit relieved because you never know what your head shape is like under all that hair. As it turns out, I quite like my head shape."

So how is life after head shave? Jodie was inundated with compliments on her new look, even from the friends who were against her decision at first. "Although some strangers do make assumptions about my sexuality based on my hairstyle, which always makes me laugh! I explain to them that I did it to raise money for Kids Company, a charity that helps vulnerable inner-city kids."

And the big question: does she plan on growing it back again? "I'm loving it as it is, but I love my curly hair too, so I'll definitely grow it back at some point," she says. "I'm looking forward to all the different styles I can try out along the way, starting off with the pixie cut."

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